Looks like state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, is going to let his two petition-gathering associates twist slowing in the wind. Link is standing pat that he had "no involvement" in the gathering of tainted petitions and authorities back him up on that. But what's missing here?
Link's campaign workers, Kenneth Davison of Waukegan and Jerry Knight of Zion, were indicted this week on charges of perjury and forgery after the pair allegedly gathered petition signatures which included fake names and dead people. As Link says, "It's very unfortunate that this happened, but it was a mistake." Perhaps they might have accidentally copied signatures from candidate petitions from previous campaigns?
The senator, who also is Lake County Democratic Party chairman and Senate President Emil Jones' caucus leader in Springfield, is making this whole affair one of nugacity. Indeed, from Link's excuse he might not have been in the same state during the collection of signatures on his behalf by the petition-gathering duo.
Who hired these guys to collect signatures, not only for Link, but for several other Democratic candidates on the November ballot? Doesn't a petition circulator have to live in the district in which he is passing petitions? If Knight lives in Zion, he doesn't live in the 30th Senate District, which Link is defending against Republican Keith Gray, a Waukegan businessman and Mettawa resident, come November.
How much do petition collectors earn and how much did Link pay out to not only Knight and Davison, but the other 18 or so circulators the senator used to gather the more than 3,300 signatures he filed for re-election. Did they get paid extra for collecting for the other Democratic candidates?
One more observation from The Hound: If he's pretty lax when it comes to watching over his legal petitions, what other things in Springfield is Link lackadaisical about?
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Great commentary, News Hound. For all the details on this ridiculous scandal, visit:
www.teamamerica10th.blogspot.com.
where we have been following this story since last November.
Amazing!
These irregularities and violations of the law by Knight and Davidson occurred nearly 10 months ago and Senator Link, his vice-chair Pete Couvall and all those other Democrats who benefitted from such law breaking are now finally publicly stating that they are embarrassed and ashamed? Where were these statements 10 months ago? Why did they have to wait until now to become embarrassed and ashamed or claim that they were being conned by a couple of con men?
Where were their grassroots support for their candidacies? No volunteers available?
Did all these candidates pay for Davidson and Knight to circulate petitions for them illegally or did the Lake County Democratic Party or just the Link for Senate campaign pay them to do this? They needed to get hired guns to circulate petitions?
Each candidate is ultimately responsible for the conduct of his or her campaign.
Keller and Hewitt and other Democrats who also benefitted had 10 months to condemn those actions. Other than being embarrassed, they should all own up to this behavior and accept responsibility for the actions of those who ultimately put them on the ballot.
Is this how they would run their offices if they get elected or reelected? Is this an indication of their hiring practices?
Enough! Vote Republican!
THE HOUND SAYS: Good points, Louis. What has happened to political volunteers? That's what happens when incumbents have their campaign funds stuffed with cash. The Hound figures Link didn't pay the signature gatherers out of his own pocket, but campaign funds. Wonder if those folks who grease his palms knew that's where their money went. And, what is the going rate for dead people's signatures?
No, News Hound, petition gatherers aren't required to live in the district for which they collect signatures. The only requirements are that the circulators need to be U.S. citizens who are at least 18.
THE HOUND SAYS: Thanks for the info, Phil Collins. And, is no jacket really required?
Great article, but I'm still voting Democratic. I just love the Democratic party and this is small compared to some things the Republican party are accused of. Wait until you read about it. Reports r coming soon. Almost taking as long as it took for this story to come forth. I heard Knight n Dawson were both Republicans?
THE HOUND SEZ: Well, if Knight and Dawson were both Republicans, Sen. Link surely failed to do his due diligence. If you love the Democratic Party, you must not live in Illinois. The party controls all state offices and both houses of the Legislature. Look what's happening in Springfield. That ain't love, baby.
If we ever want Blagojevich to lose his pull in the General Assembly (especially with Senate Dems), we'd better be careful not to elect another one of his minions (i.e. Terry Link), or we'll see a gridlock in Springfield until a natural disaster comes through and finally wipes out all the corruption.
I'm sick of partisan games. I honestly don't care what party you're a part of as long as you're willing to vote against your party for the citizens of your district. Now how many people do we know who've pledged to do that?
The only way voters are ever going to get their say is if we vote an entirely new group of people into the GA this November.
Change = new people who are crazy enough to run, idealistic enough to want to make a difference, hard headed enough not to give up, and green enough to ignore partisanship and political corruption.
THE HOUND SEZ: You might see gridlock in Springfield? It's already there, little Lady. Don't expect an entirely new group of peple in the Legislature. Illinois voters are known as the dumbest in the nation.